Wire fence splicer



28, 1951 l. o. LIMPUS 2,566,133

WIRE'FENCE SPLICERV.

Filed Sept. 17, 1948 INVENTOR. lsA'Ac o. LIMDUS BY %%%M, @mmz rm,

patented Aug. 28, 195i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,566,133 WIRE FENCE SPLICER Isaac Limpus, Shelbyville, Ind. Application September 17, 1948, Serial No. 49,745

This invention relates to wire'fence splicers, and tools, and particularly to a plier type of wire fence splicer.

The main object of my inventionisto provide a plier-type wire-working and fence-splicing tool which is automatically adjustable for various sizes of wire and consists of but two working parts.

Another object is to provide a wire fence splicer with semi-circular jaws having a series of peripheral wire-engaging teeth or projections for twisting and tying the wire being operated on.

A further object is to have a series of undercut, one-way wire-engaging teeth on the jaws of the wire-working tool which are efiective to twist or tie the wire step by step without rotating the tool fully around the wire upon which the work is being done.

It is also an object to have such a wire and fence-splicing tool which is reasonably simple to make and very simple and convenient to use.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in further detail as the-specification proceeds.

In order to facilitate ready comprehension of this invention for a proper appreciation of the salient features thereof, the invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation-of a wirefencesplicer made according to the invention and embodying the same in a practical form;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same wire fence-splicing tool;

Figure 3 is another front elevation of the same tool with the jaws partly open;

Figure 4 is a transverse section of the jaws as taken on line |4 in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5 in Figure 3; i s

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on line 66 in Figure 3;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a modification;

Figure 8 is a, fragmentary elevation of a wire tie in a preliminary stage and indicating in broken lines the final stage forming a splice.

Throughout the views the same reference numerals indicate the same or like parts.

When attaching wire fences to corner posts, gate posts and the like, and also when splicing sections of wire fencing together, common pliers obviously are too limited for effecting satisfactory results in connection with such operations. Of course, various makeshifts have been attempted, but nothing in this line has gone into universal use.

1 Claim. (Cl. 140121) After considerin this problem, it has occurred to me that a wire-splicing tool should be available which is capable of being instantly applied, self adjusting to any size of wire, of such form and character as to be capable of being brought close to a post to which the wire is to be permanently attached, and especialy capable of twisting or tying the wire by means of a rocking movement of the tool, that is, by step-by-step operation. As a result, I have found it quite feasible to produce a wire-splicing tool of special convenience, and with the mentioned desirable characteristics, as will now be more fully described.

Hence, in the practice of my invention, and referring again to the drawing, a wire fence: splicing tool, generally indicated at 9, includes a pair of tongue-type handles H), II having the upper correspondingly recessed and crossed portions I2, l3 connected together by means of pivot pin l4. To the upper ends of the cross-portions l2, l3 are integrally secured semi-circular jaws 16, II. The mentioned jaws are adapted to meet in closed position along a mutual straight line of cleavage formed by their mutual straight inner edges l8, I9, the straight inner edge I8 being provided with a semi-circular notch 2i], and the other inner straight edge l9 being similarly provided with a corresponding semi-circular notch 2|.

However, the two jaws l6 and I! are of different thickness for a purpose which will now be explained. Upon the thicker jaw ll are provided a pair of equal, relatively large, triangular guiding lugs 22 below the notch 2| and above the latter a pair of smaller, triangular guiding lugs are similarly provided at 23, in order to guide a wire being introduced between the jaws when open directly into notch 2|, so that when the jaws are closed notch 22 in the opposite jaw IE will accurately close on the wire. Due to the fact that the jaw I6 is thinner and in fact of no greater thickness than the thickness between the rear and forward lugs 22, or 23, these lugs overlap the straight edge l8 of the jaw l6 when the jaws are closed, as best seen in Figure 1. Due to the triangular form of the lugs 22 and 23, they will obviously guide relatively thick wire toward, if not entirely into, the notch 2|, which will suffice to center the wire with respect to the notch 20 on the opposite jaw, the main point being that when a wire is inserted, the jaws can'beat least nearly, if not completely, closed upon'the wire so as to grip the same sufficiently to center the jaws upon the wire for twi ting 'andliyi e opera-I i l, t i m ,l-|,,,,,

When the jaws l6 and I! are closed and the two together are viewed as a unit for the present purpose, the jaws together are provided upon the periphery thereof with equal numbers of one-way, angular undercut teeth 24, 24, 25, 25, the teeth on both jaws being arranged in the same direction of rotation, that is, with the larger undercut ends 26, 26, 2 1,- 21 on said teeth being directed clockwise with respect to the central opening formed by the two notches 26 and 2| when the jaws are closed, and the teeth rising solely from the nearer fiat sides 26 and 29 of the jaws and exteriorly conforming to the generally circular contour of both jaws together.

Before proceeding to describe the manner of using the tool thus far outlined, it should be mentioned that, if desired, the one-way teeth may be provided not only upon the near sides, butalso on the rear portions of the jaws, as particularly shown at 30, 36, 3|, 3|, 32, 32, 33', 33in Figure 7 on the wire fence-splicer generally indicated at 34. Only a fragment 35' of the handles is. shown, and the crossed portions 36, 31 thereof connected by pivot 38.

In other particulars the tool 34 of Figure '7 is the same as that already described in connection with the first six figures in the drawing.

When the toolis to be used and the wire 39 is looped about a post 46, for example, and the end of the wire initially bent over the straight portion 4| thereof, as indicated in broken lines at 42, the splicing tool 9 is first opened by separating the handles and H so that jaws i6 and H will open into the mutually open position shown in Figure 3 and the tool placed in position with notch 2| on wire 4| and the bent-over end 42 still remaining in position, as already mentioned, the jaws of the tool then beingclosed by bringing together the handles it) and i. The tool is moved over to the depending end 42 until one of the teeth 25' or 24 engages therewith. Then the tool is partly rotated, as particularly shown in Figure 1, so that it is brought from an upper position indicated in broken lines at l5, down to the depending position of the handles, as shown in full lines, with the wire end 43; shown in full lines, shifted by the lowest tooth 25"clockwise into the position indicated in broken lines at 44, when the tool is again swung back to the position indicated at 15, While allowing the wire end 44 to slip over-tooth 25'onto one of the teeth 24, after which the tool is again swung down into the depending position shown in the full lines of Figure 1. This movement is repeated so that step by step the end 43 of the wire originally forming'a simple end 42, as shown in Figure 2, will be wound upon the wire 4| as a series of turns 45 with the end 43' engaging first one tooth and then another astep ahead, and so on around the entire group of teeth on both jaws Without actually rotating the tool fully around the wire 4|.

When a pair of wires 46, 41, as shown in Figure 8, are to be spliced, the ends 48, 49 thereof are first crossed, as shown in said figure, and then while using an ordinary pair of pliers to hold the end 48 on wire 46, the splicing tool 9 is opened and then closed on wire 41 with the teeth 24' and 25 successively engaging against the end 49, and

thetool againworked up and down or in merely partial rotation with the wire end 49' engaging first one tooth after another until the wire is rolled into a series of coils about wire 41; Then the'pliers are used to hold the coils 50 just made, and the tool turned over and mounted on wire 46 with the notches 20, 2| engaging the same, and the teeth then caused to engage the wire end 48 and the tool again worked up and down through an are about the wire when the wire end 43 will be engaged first with one tooth and then slipping over that will be engaged with the next tooth, and so around the circle until a second coil 5| is formed on wire 46 when the two wires 46 and 41 will be fully spliced together.

Manifestly, variations may be resorted to and parts and features may be modified or used without others within the scope of the appended claim.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim:

A wire splicing tool, comprising a pair of elongated crossed pivotally connected handles, and a pair of opposed generally fiat semi-circular jaws secured to the crossed handles forwardly of their pivotal connection so that when the handles are spread apart the jaws are also spread apart to form a generally X-shaped construction, the opposed jaws being disposed in substantially the same plane and having inner opposed straight diametrical edges which abut when the jaws are completely closed, the opposed jaws forming a substantially circular head when closed, each jaw having a substantially semicircular shallow notch formed substantially in the longitudinal center of its straight diametrical edge and registering with the companion notch of the opposite jaw to form a substantially circular wire receiving opening when the jaws are closed, one of said jaws being thicker than the opposite jaw and having its opposite side faces projecting laterally outwardly of the side faces of the opposite jaw, the thicker jaw being provided upon opposite sides of the notch in its straight edge with pairs of spaced opposed tapered elements which straddle the side faces of the opposite jaw when the jaws are closed, the inner sides of the tapered elements converging and leading into the notch of the jaw carrying them to form a guide for a wire entering such notch, each jaw being provided upon one side and adjacent to its periphery with a group of circumferentially spaced. inclined teeth having undercut edges, at one end for engaging a free endof the wire, the teeth of both jaws forming a circular group facing in the same direction and extending entirely about the circular head when the jaws are closed.

ISAAC O. LIMPUS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Jones Apr. 8, 1930 

